Commercially-available liquid food products are delivered to customers in disposable containers such as paper, plastic, or foam cups. The disposable containers are then taken by the customer or discarded when they finish with the product. Both the producer and the consumer benefit from the convenience and cost-effectiveness of this arrangement.
Smoothies and other blended drinks are some of the most popular beverages served this way. Consumers have widely recognized the benefits, in both taste and nutrition, that come from blended drinks, and they are now served ubiquitously in disposable cups. Blenders that prepare blended drinks cannot, however, effectively and reliably prepare the drinks within the disposable cups. The raw ingredients, especially large and frozen ingredients such as ice or frozen fruit chunks, cannot be properly sheared in the disposable cups because they are so violently agitated and pulverized by a blending blade or other rotor/stator apparatus. The pressure differentials and forces generated during blending are too large for the relatively thin and weak walls of the cups to handle without bursting or blowing off of the blending device. Accordingly, blended drinks are prepared in reinforced and rigid jars that attach to the blender, and the product is poured from the jars after being blended.
Blending in one vessel and then serving in another is an inefficient process. Because of the thick nature of the pureed drink, extra product must be produced to account for thick smoothie clinging to the sides of the blending jar after dispensing. A person preparing the beverage would not want to fall short of filling a customer's cup, so he or she often will make extra product that is subsequently discarded. The wasted product is a financial loss in material costs, but it also accrues additional costs. Fruit juices are inherently acidic, and pouring significant quantities of fruit smoothies into sewer systems can have a negative impact on water treatment processes. Many smoothie producers are therefor charged extra utility fees for the acidic impact of their waste on the water system.
The thickness of a smoothie product also makes it difficult to transfer it from a blending jar to a separate serving cup. The thick puree may have a tendency to slide out of the wide mouth of a blending jar into the smaller-mouthed serving cup in a single large blob. To avoid spills, workers commonly hammer on the blending jar with the palm of their hand to break up and loosen the blob so that it is easier to pour. Hammering jars in this manner over time can develop into wrist joint problems for workers and can lead to liability for shop owners.
Accordingly, there is a need for improvements to blending equipment used for preparing and serving blended beverages in disposable containers.